I remember how proud I was of my first buck. I never expected how drastically my opinion would change over time.
When we first start hunting, it seemed like shooting a deer was almost impossible. Most hunters begin their hunting with no standards. This is understandable, and not a big deal to me. A deer is a deer to most first-timers and to some misinformed hunters. It's the uneducated and careless hunters that I have a problem with.
I was once told by an old timer, “You will never shoot a good one if you shoot an alright one, and you will never shoot a great one if you shoot a good one.”
Passing on smaller deer is seen by most hunters as a trophy hunting mentality, although, most pass on a deer out of an understanding of conservation and preservation.
My first buck was a small two-point. He would have been a four, but was missing a horn. I was so happy to finally get one. I missed several, and saw many that were able to elude me. I remember not caring how big the deer was, just that I had got one. Everyone around me shot the first one that walked by. Back then, a button buck was fair game. What brought people to the point of shooting babies and being proud of it?
Doing your best to avoid shooting animals like these is in the best interest of your deer herd. Mistakes in judgment are common when targeting antler-less deer. Do your best to avoid shooting fawns, but don't beat yourself up if it happens. Only after several years passed and the healthy deer herd movement began, did I see the flaw in our ways.
We, as hunters, need to be held to a higher standard, if we can’t do it ourselves, yes, I'm talking about antler restrictions!
So far this season I have passed on seven small bucks. They were all six points or less. Having a phone with video capabilities is pretty cool. The ones I pass have been caught on camera, if possible. I posted a couple of them online and received some different opinions. I was told not to say where I had filmed them, because they would no longer be safe. A friend said after posting a video of deer on her back wood line, hunters showed up and shot them. Some people can be so greedy.
Another acquaintance said that people have been known to shoot more than one buck in his neck of the woods. These hunters are shooting themselves in the proverbial foot. They all say I never see big ones, I shoot what comes by me, and the neighbor will shoot it if I don't. This is why you don't see big ones!
The first-come, first-serve mentality is one that hunters need to drop. The fear that the hunter next door will get your deer, drives them to shoot smaller ones. What would happen if landowners planted food for the deer and made a pact to not shoot small ones? They would likely see more big deer and have the chance to shoot a giant. There would be more big deer in the area and the movement will increase. This is due to the extra competition that you have created. Like the inexperienced hunter looking for any antler, bucks understand the first-come, first-serve mentality. This doesn't happen now because the big guys lock down with does and the little guys are the only ones seen making the rounds.
The solution to the problem is state-imposed antler restrictions. This is a topic of heated discussion between hunters. While some want restrictions to create a healthier deer herd, others just want to shoot anything that walks by. By letting deer grow, you ensure the healthiest and most genetically superior animals get to breed the most does. The small bucks get to breed now because there is hardly any competition. While the big boy is serving all the does he can round up, the little guys get the excess. This rarely happens in a healthy deer herd. The little guys learn to keep their distance or else. Because of this, our deer herd is totally out of whack.
A healthy deer herd consists of close to a one-to-one buck-to-doe ratio. There also needs to be a high number of mature animals in relation to younger ones. Being cognizant of this should keep you from consistently harvesting inferior animals. This ensures animals aren't harvested before the are able to breed and become part of the cycle. I also understand the meat hunter mentality, because I'm one of them. I hunt for food, not antlers, I don't consider myself a trophy hunter, and I do believe in deer management. What does that make me? A hunter that prefers a larger portion of meat, while maintaining a healthy deer herd. I call it hunting with a conscience.
Good wishes, and being in the know will make you say no.